Apparatus for storing stacked articles



Dec. 24, 1940. w J. 51555 I 2,226,308

APPARATUS FOR STORING STACKED ARTICLES Filed Dec. 27, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 1,

Dec. 24, 1940. J. @555 2,226,308

APPARATUS FOR STORING STACKED ARTICLES Filed Dec. 27, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 24; 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAPPARATUS FOR STORING STACKED ARTICLES 5 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for storing and feeding stackedarticles of uniform size and weight. More particularly, it relates to adevice for housing and dispensing stacked plates, saucers, bowls orother uniform articles capable of being stacked, said device being aspecific form of the invention illustrated and described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 13 filed March 13, 1937, of which this is acontinuation-in-part.

The invention has among its objects, the provision of a device forhousing and dispensing stacked articles so that the uppermost unit ofthe stack is always presented for use at a predetermined convenientposition and the underlying units of the stack are housed or held in aprotected position for automatic upward feeding upon the removal of theuppermost article of the stack, 'the provision of a time, spaceandbreakage saving unit, and a device which obviates the necessity ofstooping, reaching or lifting stacks of articles from place to placewhen in use.

In carrying out the objects of the invention there is provided a storingand dispensing unit including a vertical housing and calibrated springmotivated load handling carrier so arranged that a stack of articles onthe carrier is so positioned in loading and unloading that the uppermostarticle of the stack is brought to predetermined height or positionconvenient for removal at the top of the unit. The apparatus will bebetter understood from the following detailed description of theinventionhaving reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals have been used to represent like parts throughout theseveral views, and in which- Fig. 1 is a view in perspective partlybroken away illustrating an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross section of the device of Fig. L

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views on the lines 4.4 and 5-5,respectively, of Fig. 2.

Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively, elevation and plan views showingdiagrammatically another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a cylindrical vertical casing l is fixed atits lower end to a base 2 centrally thereof so as to provide even weightdistribution and carries at its upper end an enlarged collar 3 havingthereon spaced upwardly extending guide rods 4, the spacing of saidguide rods affording hand openings whereby an article positioned by therods may be manually grasped and lifted. The base 2 is arranged totelescopically receive the lower end of the cylindrical casing and maybe cast or otherwise fabricated to providean annular casing receivingportion 5 with an upwardly facing seat and a central chain 5 receivingreceptacle 6 having annular walls 1 extending above said seat of smalleroutside diameter than the inner diameter of said casing to provide inconjunction with the cylindrical casing an annular channel and seat forone end of a calibrated compression spring 8 within the easing.

The calibrated compression spring 8 is adapted to hold predeterminedloads .at predetermined levels at its upper end and to raise lightenedloads 15 to predetermined levels commensurate with their weights and tobe compressed by increased loads to predetermined commensurate levels.The spring can be of such diameter with respect to the inner diameter ofthe casing I that there is room for the increase in diameter of theturns of the former as its length is decreased by increased loads,. orsaid spring can bear against the inner surface of said casing l withprovision for relative slippage between the two surfaces, the drawingsbeing more or less diagrammatical. The springcarries at its upper end aninverted cylindrical cup-shaped carrier 9 having a reduced annularportion l0 defining a downwardly facing spring seat and in conjunctionwith the cylindrical casing an annular channel housing the upper end ofthe spring.

Extending downwardly from and centrally located on the underside of saidcarrier 9 is a square or hexagonal tube II in which is positioned withsliding fit .a long nut I2 of the same shaped cross section as said tubeH. A countersunk fiat head screw l3 extends through a countersunk holethrough the top of the carrier 9 and engages said nut in threadedrelation. The nut 40 12, at its lower end, carries a clevis M or otherequivalent fastening means and carries the upper end of a chain l5 thatextends downwardly with its lower end connected to a clevis H5 or othersuitable fastening means fixed to the base and extending upwardly withinthe chain receiving receptacle. The chain I5 is of predetermined lengthso as to hold-said carrier at a predeterminedlevel under no loadconditions, said length with relation to the carrier being adjustable bymovement of the screw I3 in nut l2, the latter being held againstrotational movement by cooperating tube I I, thus providing foradjustment of the carrier positioned above the casing. The chainreceptacle serves to receive and hold the loose chain when the carrieris depressed within the casing by a load thereon of stacked articles.

The structure described is that of a floor type unit but the device mayalso be arranged with a 5 modified base which in relative sizecorresponds substantially to that illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawingsso that the unit may be used for counter mounting.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of structure for counter use andillustrates also a manner of mounting the unit in a counter. Inthestructure shown in Fig. 6, the cylindrical casing l6 has fixed theretoat its lower end a bottom piece or base I! extending within the casing,and has at its upper end an enlarged cylindrical portion I8 providing anannular shoulder I9 and having a hand slot 20 extending downwardly fromits upper flared lip 2|. The annular shoulder is adapted to cooperatewith a support such as a counter or table so that the unit is positionedmainly below the counter with only the upper end thereof extending abovethe counter.

The bottom piece IT has fixed to its upper side chain cup 22 and chainfastening element 23. The calibrated spring 24 rests on the bottommember supporting at its upper end an inverted cylindrical cup carrier25 whose sides extend I downwardly over the upper end of spring 24 andwhose outer surface has a sliding fit with the inner surface of thecasing. The upward move ment of the carrier under the influence of thespring is limited in the manner previously described by chain l5extending between the chain fastening element 23 on the bottom piece andadjustable connections including the slidable nut l2 and tube H on thecarrier, which are identical in arrangement and structure with thosepreviously described.

While operation of the device will have become apparent from theforegoing description, it is to be noted that the storage and deliverydevice is loaded at the top by placing the stacked articles on thecarrier. The spring is compressed in accordance with the load placed onthe carrier and 45 to such an extent that the uppermost article of thestack is presented for removal at a predetermined adjustable positionbetween the guide rods shown on Figs. 1 and 2 or the enlarged portionshown in Fig. 6. With removal of articles 50 from the top of the stack,the spring automatically expands to raise the stack for a given distancefor each decrement in the weight of the load.

The device thus provides a novel storage for a maximum number ofarticles in a minimum of 55 space, avoids breakage and obviates thenecessity of a user stooping or reaching upwardly over shelves and thelike.

While the invention has been described in connection with specificembodiments, it is to be 60 understood that the words which have beenused are words of description rather than of limita tion, and thatpractice of the invention within. the scope of the appended claims maybe resorted to without departing from the true scope and 65 spirit ofthe invention in all its aspects.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described for storing and feedingstacked articles, an elongated vertical housing having a base portionand a 70 top portion, said top portion having upwardly extending guidingmeans'with a hand opening therein, a carrier for stacked articlesreciprocable within the housing, a compression spring disposed betweensaid carrier and base portion to 75 support said carrier and its lead ofstacked articles with the uppermost unit of said articles at apredetermined position within said guiding means, said spring beingcalibrated and adapted to expand and raise stacked articles on thecarrier a given distance for each given decrement in the weight of theload, whereby said stacked articles are presented with the uppermostunit of the stack at a predetermined level with respect to the upper endof the housing.

2. In a device of the character described for storing and feedingstacked articles, an apertured horizontal support, an elongated verticalhousing adapted for projection through said support and having a baseportion and an enlarged open top portion defining an annular supportingshoulder for overlapping engagement with the upper surface of thehorizontal support adjacent the aperture therein to suspend said housingwith its open top above said support, a carrier for stacked articlesreciprocable within said housing, an adjustable flexible connectionbetween said base portion and carrier for limiting upward movement ofthe carrier, and a compression spring disposed between said carrier andbase portion to yieldingly support said carrier and a load of stackedarticles thereon with the uppermost unit of said articles at apredetermined level above the top of said support for easy access to thehand of a user, said spring being calibrated and adapted to compress orexpand respectively to lower or raise stacked articles on the carrier agiven distance for each given addition of decrement in the weight of theload, whereby the uppermost unit of stacked articles is presented at apredetermined level with respect to the support.

3. In a portable device of the character described for storing andfeeding stacked articles, an elongated vertical cylindrical casinghaving an open top portion with upwardly extending guiding means forarticles extending above the casing, a supporting base fixed at thelower end of the casing and provided within the casing on its upper sidewith an anchorage for a flexible connection, a carrier for stackedarticles reciprocable Within the casing and provided on its under sidewith an adjustable connecting means, a flexible connection extendingbetween said anchorage on the base and said adjustable connecting meansfor limiting upward movement of the carrier, and a calibratedcompression spring disposed between the base and the carrier, saidspring being adapted to support said carrier and a load of stackedarticles thereon with the uppermost unit of the stacked articles at apredetermined level in said article guiding means above the end of saidcasing.

4. A device for storing and feeding stacked articles, an elongatedcylindrical casing, a base member having a reduced portion extendingwithin the lower end of the casing in spaced relation to the casingdefining an annular spring receiving channel, a top member fixed to saidcasing and having upwardly extending article guides so spaced as toprovide a hand opening or openings therebetween above the casing, acarrier for stacked articles reciprocable within the casing, anadjustable flexible connection between said carrier and base memberlimiting upward movement of the carrier, a calibrated compression springseated in said annular channel and disposed between said base member andcarrier to support the carrier and a load of stacked articles thereonwith the uppermost unit of the stack at a predetermined level withinsaid guiding means, said spring being so calibrated and adjusted as toexpand and raise stacked articles on the carrier a given distance foreach given distance for each given decrement in the weight of the loadon the carrier.

5. A device for storing and feeding stacked articles, an elongatedcylindrical casing having an enlarged top portion with upwardlyextending article guiding means above the casing and a bottom portionprovided on its upper face with a receptacle and chain link connectorwithin the receptacle, a carrier for stacked articles reciprocablewithin the casing and provided with an adjustable connecting means, aflexible connection fixed at its ends to said connector on the base andthe connecting means on the carrier, a

